


What Does A Life Cost?

by EthelPhantom



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Capes, Angst, Character Death, Drabbles, F/M, Gen, MariBat, Maribat April Angst Apocalypse, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Resurrection, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:07:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23422171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EthelPhantom/pseuds/EthelPhantom
Summary: Dying is nowhere near peaceful, it certainly isn't like falling asleep, and resurrection, whatever one might want to think, isso much worse.This is the life in which Jason and Marinette will have to learn both truths as cruelly as the world can possibly teach them.
Relationships: Chloé Bourgeois & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 87
Kudos: 139





	1. Where it all began

**Author's Note:**

> So, welcome to this fic. It's gonna be mostly full of drabbles and I'm going to _try_ keeping them in chronological order but I wouldn't count on it. This is indeed my Angst April AU so, have fun.
> 
> Also, don't count on me having a regular updating schedule. I'm going to try, but it's either multiple a day or radio silence for two weeks, most likely. I will be finishing the AU regardless of whether I manage in April though, it's just that the rest won't count when it comes to who might win.

It was late when Dick came back to the Manor, opening the heavy doors with his keys. It was still difficult knowing there was no Alfred to open the doors for him anymore, but they were getting by. Bruce was going to the theatre with Selina, the first proper date night they had had in years. Dick smiled at the thought, at least someone was trying to build up their life again. 

He didn’t even need to worry about the youngest siblings because Jason and Marinette were there to look after them.

Dick had just gotten home to his little brothers when his phone started ringing. He didn’t pay much mind to it, just put his coat away and set his bag down before picking up the call. It was an unknown number, but he supposed that was fine. If it was a prank call, he could just hang up. 

“Is this Mr Grayson?” the speaker on the other line asked. The voice belonged to no one he could recognise. Dick shrugged it off and kicked his shoes off. It had become a tradition once both Damian and Marinette started asking for it. 

“Yeah, why?”

“I am Dr Bell from Gotham General Hospital. You have been listed as Ms Selina Kyle’s fourth emergency contact and we couldn’t reach the two before you. I am sad to inform you that she was shot. She has been admitted to the hospital and is not in stable condition. We are afraid she will not make it.”

Those words sent a shiver up his spine. If he was the fourth emergency contact, what happened to the three before? Especially if they ‘couldn’t reach the  _ two  _ before him’. 

Ivy, Harley and… 

_ Bruce.  _

Bruce was the first emergency contact. 

The world stopped rotating.

“Okay. Can I— Can we come to the hospital to see her? Me and my little siblings? She was kind of a mother so it would be nice to say goodbye,” Dick said, voice wavering. He felt cold sweat creeping up on his skin. 

“It would be best if only one of you—”

“Dr Bell, my family is one of the biggest reasons the hospital is still working. Can we  _ all  _ come or not?”

“Of course, Mr Grayson. I will see you soon then, I suppose.”

“Yeah. We’ll be there.”

As Dr Bell hung up the phone, Dick turned to the stairs. “Cass, Dami, Tim, Jay, Steph, get down and dressed, we’re going to the hospital! Selina was shot and might not make it!” he yelled, and soon enough there were multiple footsteps running towards him from all around the Manor. Steph slid down the railing, Cass hopped down to the first floor. The rest followed not far behind. 

“Wasn’t she with Bruce? What about him?” Tim asked, and Dick could almost  _ watch  _ the terror creep up on their faces and take over their minds. Cass shivered. Damian’s brows furrowed and he swallowed as he fumbled to find Marinette’s hand to squeeze. She’d come downstairs as well.

“We don’t know yet, but prepare yourselves for the worst. I told Bell I was taking my siblings with me, so get going and put on your clothes.”

Dick picked up his coat and was putting it on as he noticed Mari standing awkwardly there, fiddling with the hem of her pajama shirt. Dick abandoned the coat and walked to her, putting his hand on her shoulder. 

“What’s wrong, Mari?” he asked, smiling at her a little. It was hard because everything hurt and he would have rather screamed, but he needed to be strong for her and his little siblings.

“I— You said you and your siblings, but… I’m not family. Does that mean I should stay here?” she asked, looking up at him. She was biting her lip. 

“You  _ are  _ family. You’re Jason’s girlfriend, Teacup. But, it might be better if you stayed home this time.” It pained him to say it, but it was for the best. He needed to be able to give his siblings 100% of his attention, and they deserved to be there since Selina was basically their mother. 

Fortunately, Marinette nodded. “Okay, I understand. I’ll… I’ll wait for you here. Do you think they will need something to eat when they come back?”

“It would be very sweet of you if you aren’t too tired. Thank you, Teacup. You’re the best.” Dick kissed her forehead and ruffled her hair. Marinette scrunched up her nose but smiled back at him. 

His siblings got back just about then. Jason cast a curious look at Marinette and then Dick. “Why isn’t she dressed up?”

“I’m not coming. Dick thought it might be better if I don’t. There are a lot of you, after all, it’s fine,” she said, giving Jason a quick squeeze. Dick watched them interact with pride in his heart. They were adorable and definitely deserved one another. 

Jason seemed ready to argue it but Mari just shook her head before pointing at the door. She whispered something to Jason. It seemed to calm him down. He bent over to peck her lips before he walked to the door which Dick had opened only moments earlier. The rest followed soon behind.

Dick gave Marinette a quick wave before closing the door behind him, leaving Marinette alone in the huge, empty manor. 

None of them noticed the police car or the civilian car that passed them were driving to the Manor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to hear your thoughts and/or speculation on the story!
> 
> You can find me on my [tumblr](https://ethelphantom.tumblr.com/) if you want to scream at me about this fic, DC, Maribat or Code Geass! I can also be found on my art instagram [here](https://www.instagram.com/daicrimeth/?hl=en), so yelling at me there is also ok


	2. To watch the world fall apart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This pretty much takes on right after the ending of the last chapter (wow, something is working in order and properly, I'm so so surprised). Have fun reading!

Marinette had just been about to walk into the kitchen when someone ringed the doorbell. Maybe one of them had forgotten something and they were just coming back to get it. She walked back to the door and opened it, but… That wasn’t any of her family. There were two people standing behind the door, one of them a police and the other in civilian clothing.

“Good evening, Miss. I was looking for Mr Wayne’s family. Are they here?” the police asked, looking behind her as though he could maybe find them that way.

“Sorry, no, everyone but me is away for a while. They went to see how their mom was doing because she was sent to the hospital. Who are you?” 

“Oh, I apologise. I am Officer Donald Peak from GCPD, here’s my badge,” he said and showed her his badge. It looked real, alike to the one Jason had made her learn well enough to recognise a long time ago. 

“I’m Leslie Thompkins, though you might remember me. You’re Jason’s girlfriend, aren’t you?” the woman said, and now that she said her name, Marinette actually did recognise her. 

Marinette nodded. “I am. Alright, I believe you are who you say. What are you doing here, then?”

That question had Officer Peak looking a little uncomfortable and sadness crossed Leslie’s features. Marinette feared the worst. 

“It’s— Can we come inside? You may want to sit down for this, Miss,” Officer Peak said, confirming Marinette’s suspicions. It was definitely going to be something bad. She swallowed but gestured for them to come in. It wasn’t fair to make them stay outside either, and they were people she could either recognise or identify. 

“Do you want anything to drink or eat? I was making some anyway for when the others get home from the hospital,” Marinette asked, already rather sure of the answer. It was more than likely they would rather just tell the news. 

Leslie and Officer Peak just shook their heads. Marinette nodded and led them to the living room. 

* * *

Marinette didn’t even notice the family returning. She had her face in her hands as she cried, only realising someone else had entered when there was a hand on her shoulder and another lifted her chin up. Even through her tears, she could see how tense everyone else was at the presence of a police officer, Leslie and her crying. 

She wasn’t sure if more words had been exchanged before this, but the police was asking them to sit down and they, surprisingly, did, so she guessed they had managed to avoid a fight.

“I am afraid that I have bad news to tell you all,” the officer began once everyone was seated. “Mr Wayne — most of your father — was shot today near the theatre and died to his wounds before the medics arrived. Ms Selina Kyle told us he had tried to protect her just moments before she went unconscious.” 

Marinette hated hearing it again and she didn’t even want to know how the rest were taking it. That didn’t mean she wouldn’t get to know anyway. She could feel the temperature drop in the room as the words sunk in before there was a sharp, pained gasp echoing in the room. The next thing she knew was having to hold onto Damian so he wouldn’t be able to attack the officer. 

“No! Father cannot be dead! Not caused by something as despicable as shooting! You must be lying!” 

It tore her heart apart to listen to Damian scream at them until his voice got quieter and cracked. Then he fell on his knees on the floor, hands fisted into balls, nails digging into his palms. He was biting his lip so hard a drop of blood fell on the floor. 

Marinette was on her feet and kneeling next to Damian within seconds. She knew how it was like losing family, especially someone you cared about. She pulled him close to her chest so she could cradle the small child not computing with his father’s death. Not a single tear escaped his eyes but those weren’t needed to tell Marinette he was in pain regardless. He slammed his fist down on the floor, trying to regain some control of the situation but it was useless.

None of them knew how such a thing could be done.

Jason set his hand on her shoulder, rubbing circles on it with his thumb as he waited for the news to actually hit. He and Bruce had never been on the best of terms, but now, now they wouldn’t even have a chance to try and repair their relationship. Their last conversation had been an unresolved argument two days back and Marinette just  _ knew  _ that Jason would be beating himself over for letting the last words he’d ever said to Bruce be something along the lines of “I hate you, you goddamn asshole. I never want to see you again!” Words, that had been screamed at his face. 

Behind her on the right, Cass was staring forwards into the nothingness blankly, blinking tears away from her eyes. Tim had disappeared into his headspace, trying to avoid the inevitable shattering that would come, trying to ignore the reality that was knocking on the door — or standing in the middle of their living room with a pitying face. Dick looked like his world was crumbling down under his feet, Steph had gone dead silent a while back.

No one knew how to deal with the situation at hand. 

“So… Both Bruce and Selina are gone,” someone said, and Marinette couldn’t bother to figure out who it was because the voice was familiar and in no way malicious, and that meant it was one of them. She didn’t need to know. 

What she needed to know was that Selina had died as well and— 

That meant the only ones left that could take care of them were Dick, Jason and because of Jason also herself. A tear fell from her eye into Damian’s hair as she squeezed him a little tighter, not knowing how he was taking any of this but needing to make sure he knew she was still there and she was still there for him. 

She needed to squeeze him tighter so maybe one of them would survive this well and manage to heal and become whole again, and the youngest of them had the greatest chance of that. 

Or at the very least she could pretend that was what was going to happen… 

Because she knew the rest of them were much closer to falling apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed? Or cried, whatever works.
> 
> You can find me on my [tumblr](https://ethelphantom.tumblr.com/) if you want to scream at me about this fic, DC, Maribat or Code Geass! I can also be found on my art instagram [here](https://www.instagram.com/daicrimeth/?hl=en), so yelling at me there is also ok


	3. Into the ashes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ,,,This is the third death of this fic. And it's the goddamn third day and third chapter. Ethel, what the fuck.
> 
> Just a friendly reminder (bc I'm scared people will just decide three times is a pattern and leave), one of the tags is "resurrection". 
> 
> But yeah, have fun!

It was like everything was on fire. 

Actually, now that he thought about it, everything really was on fire. 

He couldn’t open his eyes because the smoke burnt and stung in his eyes too badly. Jason could hardly breathe, and he most definitely wasn’t able to move anywhere — both because of the pain and the ropes that had him tied to a chair. They had beaten him up too badly with that crowbar. He was still bleeding, probably covered in bruises all over, everything ached. 

He wasn’t sure why he had been taken, but considering one of them had said something about getting money from the Waynes, he supposed it was just a kidnapping. A kidnapping gone horribly wrong because he had been left to die and the last thing he could remember any of his captors saying was something about the damn Wayne heir not paying before they ran out of the now brightly burning warehouse. 

So Dickie hadn’t paid the ransom.

That was fine. 

He needed to protect everyone else first.

A tear slipped from his eye as the fumes replaced his oxygen and he started slipping out. 

He only wished that Marinette wouldn’t need to be too sad. His beautiful, smart, strong fiancée who didn’t deserve to lose anyone else again, not like this. He had only proposed to her a month ago and they had thought they would be fine. They would have been able to build their home together, a new family from scratch that would have not hurt them more. 

Now that hope was gone, but… 

Jason still just wanted her to be happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops?
> 
> I leave Joker out of the entire story (bc fuck him) and yet. _Yet._
> 
> I actually have the next part in the works already so like, you'll probably get that within today as well. 
> 
> _This_ is why I write this in drabbles.


	4. As you fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, I'm not sure I remembered to mention this in the previous chapter but. This and the previous drabble happen about a year or so after B and Selina died. 
> 
> The next one, in case I forget to mention that too, happens about a year later. 
> 
> Oh, and did I happen to mention Tim is one of Mari's best friends because I live for Timari, platonic and romantic.

“No! It’s not possible! You said you were going to pay the ransom!” Marinette screamed at Dick’s face. Tears were streaming down her face as she tried to punch Dick who, unfortunately, stepped aside, meaning Marinette missed. She crumbled down on the floor and held her face in her hands, sobbing hopelessly.

Tim walked to her, and just like she had kneeled next to Damian those years ago when Bruce had died, dropped on his knees next to her. He put a hand on her knee, stroking it lightly as to reassure her he was still there. 

She turned around and let herself fall into his arms, wrapping her arms around his waist as she buried her face in his chest. Tim closed her in his embrace, stroking her hair and rubbing circles on her back mindlessly. 

Dick was trying to appear calm but he was clearly panicking and hysteric. “I was, I swear. They never told me how to pay or where to pay, and Barbara and Tim weren’t able to find their location.” He stopped before realising how his words sounded. “I am not blaming them! I am only saying that we, as a whole, weren’t able to find him. And I’m sorry.”

“He’s dead!! He — your brother, my  _ fiancé _ — is  _ dead  _ because of your mistakes!” Marinette’s voice cracked as she cried into Tim’s chest. She hated this. She had wanted to live happily with Jason, not… Whatever the hell this could be called. 

She certainly had not expected to lose him when they had only barely passed 20.

Not before they had even gotten married. 

The world… It was like the world was crumbling beneath her and she was in a free fall, unable to stop until she would hit the ground and the rock bottom and die.

Eventually, as she finally managed to calm herself, Marinette stood up using Tim as support. She cast one last glare at Dick — who looked appropriately guilty — before turning away and walking up to her room. As Tim didn’t follow her, Marinette called him to do so. She needed help packing. 

There was no way she could stay in the same house with all the rest of them, not now anyway. Maybe later. She was certain they would make up later and things would start to get better, but for now, she needed her own space, alone. 

Far from the things that reminded her of what she’d had and what she’d lost, far from the things that reminded her of  _ who got to stay.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	5. Let your eyes be the last thing I see

Kneeling down next to Jason’s grave never got any easier. It had been about a year since it happened and yet. Tears streamed down her face as she read the writing on the gravestone again, and again. 

The worst part in all of this was, she knew this was going to be one of the last times she would ever be able to see it. The war in Metropolis had spread, reaching the cities just outside of Gotham, and soon it would cross the waters isolating Gotham from the rest of the world. Her… No, the Waynes had gone to Metropolis to fight on Clark’s side against Luthor because most of them trusted him and his causes, but she… Marinette didn’t want to. Especially since she could see more truth on the side where Luthor resided even though she hated it and him. 

Besides, a man called Papillon had sided with Clark and she couldn’t stand him. She wasn’t sure what there was about him that, to her anyway, screamed that he couldn’t be trusted with anyone’s lives, but regardless of what it was, it was there. That, and she knew Tim didn’t really like Clark’s side, not anymore, so she was inclined to like the side her best friend didn’t hate.

After all,  _ Luthor  _ hadn’t tried to get rid of Kon for good. He had tried to get him to fight, sure, but he’d also offered the boy a place to live at, and better equipment, and  _ a life.  _ Clark though? Clark had tried to get rid of Kon, which was not okay with Tim, but he could hardly stand against his entire family when said family hadn’t hurt anyone he cared about.

Chloé too. She preferred Luthor because he had helped her when she lost her family — not to death, but Audrey didn’t want to see her and André was in jail for having abused his power as the Mayor — and he'd given her the means to a new life. Nowhere near as grand, and she was required to help Luthor, but Chloé had decided it was worth it. Anything was worth it if she was allowed to have a second chance, she said.

And so Marinette didn’t join the war and was planning on staying away from it if possible. If it didn’t hurt Tim more than it had now, and if she had any other choice.

It’s not like they could force her to come either. She wasn’t family, _ right Dick? _

Oh, he’d asked. Saying that family should keep together and all that, but she hadn’t been family in a year at all, now had she? She had barely been family back when Selina and Bruce had died. She wasn’t any more family now that her fiancé was dead. 

Yeah, and things hadn’t gotten any better like she’d thought they would. 

The only Waynes she even kept in touch with regularly were Tim, the best friend she could ask for, and Damian, the little boy she wouldn’t ever abandon if she had any say in it. The boy had gone through enough as it was, Marinette wasn’t going to add to it just because she couldn’t stand being with the rest of them a lot. 

Marinette stood up quietly and smiled down at the grave. “I’m sorry, Jason. I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you,” she murmured before turning around, 

Looking back on it, that was the worst mistake she’d ever done, but back then, right then and there, it was a blessing. She came to find the familiar teal eyes glowing green staring back at her, though the white streak in the otherwise so black hair was new. Tears found their way to her ears and fell down her cheeks. 

She should have run when she had the chance. 

“Jason? Am I dreaming?” she asked quietly, her voice only barely above a whisper. She walked towards him until she was finally able to reach up to caress his face. His skin was cold, like the skin of someone who had died. She swallowed down her pain, hoping this wasn’t just a hallucination of a widow in pain. “You’re— you’re back.”

“Oh yes, yes I am. You, on the other hand, won’t be,” he sneered as his expression twisted into something that was closer to anger. That was all the warning Marinette got before something sharp was pushed into her abdomen and yanked out as she stumbled back, away from Jason. She looked down at her hands she’d brought to her abdomen, a choked sound leaving her throat as she saw them covered in crimson blood. A quick glance at Jason and his hands confirmed what she’d been afraid of — there was a sharp blade in his hands, coated in unforgiving red that Marinette was bleeding. It didn’t take long before she couldn’t support her weight and her knees gave out under her. She crumpled on the ground, watching as Jason’s face remained unchanged. 

“Why?” was all she knew how to ask. What had gone into his head, what had made him do this? There was no logical reason as to why  _ Jason  _ would hurt her like this. Anyone else she could believe, but not Jason. Never Jason. Slowly but surely scorching fury was replacing the pain and sorrow that had burnt her inside until now as he walked closer, dagger still tightly in his grip. 

“I’m gone for a year and you  _ replaced me.” _

_ What?  _

“That’s not—” A cough. “That’s not true! I never replaced you!” She would have never done that. Not in a million years. 

“Sure thing, like you and Timmers are doing nothing, am I right?”

“Damn you, Jason, he’s my best friend! Get your head out of your ass, you  _ know  _ he’s my best friend, has been since before you died! What in the world has gone into you?!”

But Jason never replied. He dropped down on the ground, knees on either side of her frail body, the flat of the blade pressed against her throat. Marinette bared her teeth and snarled as she tried to push him off of her, unsuccessful in her tries. Nothing helped, not her attempts of hitting, kicking, pushing or scratching, so eventually, she gave up. She had nothing she could use as a weapon against him. 

As her sight was blurring, she spoke again. “I would have searched the entire world had I had even the slightest feeling you were alive, so the least I deserve is for you to kill me while looking me dead in the eyes,” she spat. Her voice cracked and it was shaky, but she refused to keep silent now. “Let your eyes be the last thing I see.”

And that he did. 

As Jason slit her throat open, the last thing Marinette wondered was when and how in the world had Jason’s eyes become green. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even know ok


	6. Where the pieces paint a picture

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a little something from Tim's POV for once. That's a first, isn't it? I've had Mari thrice, and then Dick and Jason, but never Tim. Damn. Also, I'm kinda sorry for the last chapter? I swear no one dies this time. 
> 
> Oh btw, what would you say if I wrote poems/song lyrics (bc let's face it, I'm a songwriter who has no motivation to write the music to the lyrics nearly ever so she turns them into poems) based on the AU? Also, I have moodboards for this thing, do you want them?
> 
> But yeah, enjoy!

No one knew how to react, really. Jason was back. Marinette was gone. None of them knew how. All they knew was that someone had tossed Marinette’s lifeless body to the Manor and left it there in front of the front door to rot. Two days later, Cass had dragged Jason back to the Manor by the ear, all of them shocked he was alive. Tim could see Dick was overjoyed to have his little brother back, but something was off about Jason. The looks he shot Tim’s way were poisonous, and every now and then Tim caught him staring at a knife in the dinner table and then eyeing him. 

And sometimes he was trying to rub something out of his hands in a frantic frenzy, muttering to himself mindlessly. Tim found it odd but didn’t say anything as no one else seemed to notice. Well, no one but Cass, but she had taken one look at him before her eyes widened and she excused herself from the room and wasn’t able to get close to Jason afterwards, for whatever reason. 

The funeral was a silent affair. No one had thought Marinette would die, but here they were, lowering her cold body into the bowels of the earth. Tim could feel hot tears rolling down his cheeks before the air made the tear tracks cold. It was easy, reading and watching people, storing away information that might one day come to hand, like the way Damian tried to look tough but his eyes glistened as they were filled with tears he refused to shed, or how Dick was angry, probably mostly at himself, because he thought he was the head of the family now that Bruce, Selina and Alfred were gone, and as such he was supposed to take care and protect the rest of them. 

_Not that Dick had very actively tried to prove Mari or Tim they were family._

He watched as the people walked to her grave and tossed a flower in, one by one, stopping at the edge of the hole in the ground as though they were trying to come up with something to say to Marinette, or maybe about her, but it seemed all of them ended up with nothing as eventually they closed their mouths and stepped away.

All, but Chloé and  _ Jason _ . 

Chloé let so many beautiful flowers fall into her grave that they covered everyone else’s, mentioning Marinette's endless ability to forgive and love and _trust_ (and why did it look like Chloé was shooting a sharp, pointed glare at Jason when she said that?), and how she would be eternally grateful to her for everything she'd done. 

Jason? Well. Jason never went closer than 8 feet closer to the grave. It seemed no one even noticed that little bit. He didn’t look sad and there was not even a trace of grief in his eyes. Instead, what he was able to find in Jason’s cold and stiff expression was a hint of  _ guilt.  _

For whatever reason.

Like said, Jason was not the same Jason they had once known. No, that Jason seemed to be long gone, and in his stead, they got a Jason who acted more weirdly than he would have ever expected from him. Tim couldn't read this Jason. No, this Jason was far too gone for him to make sense of.

The entirety of the burial was odd, but there was nothing amiss enough for it to truly catch Tim’s eye. Not until Chloé huffed out of irritation, made a beeline to Jason and forcefully pulled him with her, seething. Tim had meant to let it be, but then Chloé had honest to god slapped Jason as hard as she could, leaving a red handprint on his cheek, and began to angry whisper at him. 

Jason, though. Jason just stared at Chloé like she was the eight world wonder before fear crossed his face, and it was then and there that Tim realised she knew something the rest of them didn’t, so he followed as Chloé dragged a flabbergasted (and angry, that was clear from the way his entire body had stiffened now) Jason even farther away from the others. 

Tim missed the beginning of the conversation, but he did not miss Chloé’s words as she pressed a finger at Jason’s chest. 

“Has anyone else gotten the chance to call you an awful person? Because that’s what you are. Maribug should have never, ever given you a chance. You’re even worse than that conniving fox,” she told Jason, fury wrinkling her face. “What, _pray tell_ , could have gotten you to kill the one that only ever trusted you?”

_ What?  _

“I didn’t—”

“If you’re about to go all defensive, save it. I know what you did, alright. I wasn’t the daughter of a politician for nothing; I know when people are lying to my face, and I know how to read people well enough to figure out why they are or aren't doing something. It’s a must in that field. I know perfectly well why Marinette is dead, and I know that is the reason why you’re not even telling her  _ goodbye _ , you son of a bitch.”

Slowly, all the pieces he'd picked up within the short time Jason had been back started to fall into place in Tim’s head. 

The picture they constructed was starting to look like a horror story, or perhaps a tragedy. 

“Trust me, the only reason I am not fucking murdering you where you stand right here and now is because it’s better if you live in guilt for the rest of your pathetic life. In death, you would get away from all this, wouldn’t need to suffer from guilt, so you better keep yourself alive and understand Mari would’ve done everything for you and  _ you took her life away!”  _

Taking a deep breath, Tim shuddered. There was the confirmation for what he’d been afraid of. 

Everything from the way Jason tried to scrub something off his hands (blood,  _ his fiancée’s — Marinette’s — blood)  _ to the fact he stood aside while everyone else paid their respects to the one that they had truly lost ages ago (he wouldn’t mourn someone he himself had killed) made sense.

And now he had to make a choice. Whether to stand with his family and the brother he cared about or to stand on the side where one of his best friends lay dead, killed by the hands of the aforementioned brother. 

Whatever that side truly was.

Would Chloé and Kon and Bart stand there with him? Would Kon and Bart go against the Wayne family, possibly Clark? Would Chloé refuse to stand by his side though he was family to the one that had stolen her— his—  _ their  _ best friend’s life? Or would he stand there, alone?

(Oh, who was he kidding? Bart would never let him go alone, and neither would Kon, who also personally had a bone to pick with one Clark Kent, and Chloé would be on whatever side was on Marinette’s side.)

No one noticed the small boy lurking in the shadows, watching them and eavesdropping on them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. That was... a thing.


	7. Where the family doesn't meet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh. I'm back? 
> 
> Here's more Dick being a dick.
> 
> Or maybe he's just being an oblivious idiot.

“And I’m telling you! He killed her! She’s dead because of Jason!”

Dick shook his head, disappointed in what he was hearing from his little brother. They just got Jason back —  _ and hadn’t Tim been rather close with him before Jason had died? _ —, so why was he now accusing Jason of crimes of that scale? Sure, he could see where Tim was coming from. Marinette, his best friend, was dead and there are barely any signs of struggle on her body so she most likely knew her killer, and a few days later, Jason is back, but Jason would never hurt Marinette like that. 

No, it was more like Jason would hurt others for hurting Marinette.

And yet Tim kept insisting that Jason’s hands were stained with blood. With Marinette’s blood. 

It made absolutely no sense. 

“Why can’t you see what he’s done? Why can’t you see how he’s acting? Do you actually  _ want  _ this family to fall apart?”

Each of Tim’s questions was a stab at his heart. Still, there was no way what Tim said was true. There was no definite proof. No witnesses. No footage. Marinette was dead, so she couldn’t say anything. Jason… Well, Jason would know, but Dick was certain that no matter what he asked and what the truth was, Jason would say no, so that was pointless. 

Besides, even if there was a chance Jason would actually, one hundred per cent sure tell him the truth, it wasn’t like Dick could just  _ ask  _ him. His little brother was obviously hurt by Marinette no longer being there, and he’d only just come back to life and regained himself — or so he said, anyway. There was a significant chance that he was still shaken by that, and Dick couldn’t bring himself to ask something that might trigger Jason, not this soon anyway. 

So Dick had to tell Tim no, as much as he knew it hurt Tim.

“You are also not allowed to go near Jason. At dinner, stay as far as possible. Yes, you can ask people to move as long as you don’t imply it’s because you want to be as far from Jay as you can. We can even do it so that I sit near Jay and you tell them you don’t want to sit near me because I pissed you off or something. Deal?”

Tim scrunched up his nose. “No. We do not have a deal. I’m leaving the Manor. Come talk to me when you’ve gotten some sense into your head.”

He couldn’t do anything but watch Tim’s back draw away from him, march out of the room, and eventually leave the Manor, the doors slamming shut behind him.

(Three weeks later, Dick had a horrible, sinking feeling that he’d made the wrong choice as he watched Jason shatter the picture of Marinette Tim had placed above the fireplace in memory of her.)

((Even then, Dick decided it was only a glimpse of a bigger thing, possibly a panic attack, that he saw. There was no way it could be a warning of anything bigger, of anything worse.))

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow look I didn't kill anyone in this chapter either, what is going on o.O

**Author's Note:**

> I'd love to hear your thoughts and/or speculation on the story!
> 
> You can find me on my [tumblr](https://ethelphantom.tumblr.com/) if you want to scream at me about this fic, DC, Maribat or Code Geass! I can also be found on my art instagram [here](https://www.instagram.com/daicrimeth/?hl=en), so yelling at me there is also ok


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